Briseira Torres, a 31 year old single mom from Glendale, Arizona, was held without bond in Estrella Jail for four and a half months. Why? Because Arizona citizens passed something known as Proposition 100. This prevents illegal immigrants from posting bail if they have committed a serious crime.
Except… Briseira Torres was neither an undocumented immigrant nor a perpetrator of a serious crime.
I held the gun up to the side of my head and took a look at myself in the mirror. It felt awkward in my hand - it was a lot heavier than I had expected it to be and I was struggling to hold it steady. Or maybe I was trembling. Either way, the heaviness was a good thing. It was the weight of the choice I had to make, and it certainly felt like the power of life and death was in my hand.
Because I am a gay rights activist, and because I am gay, people often assume I am an atheist. If I am arguing with a Christian over gay rights, they will oftentimes casually refer to me as a “non-believer” before it is ever established what I do or do not believe. And I don’t usually bother to correct them either.
My original intent for this article was to write a thoughtful analysis of the craziness that was Chick-Fil-A appreciation day. But nope. You will get none of that from me. Because I am frustrated, very frustrated, with how this all went down.
WND Columnist Warns Gay Rights Advocates will Bring About the Next Holocaust | rightwingwatch.org
WorldNetDaily columnist and regular Fox News guest Erik Rush warns that the protests against Chick-fil-A by gay rights advocates represent a reappearance of the Nazi Party’s tactics against Germany’s Jewish population. He said the left wants to use the issue of gay rights to distract from economic problems, turning Christians into scapegoats that are targeted for extermination: “the goal here is absolute power, the primary objective to supplant God with government. To achieve this, religious doctrine must be eradicated, and the chief impediment to that is Christianity.”
He claims that homosexuality is a tool to grow the size of government, arguing that “replacing normalcy with deviance and morality with immorality are simply methods toward disenfranchising Christians, resulting in the convenient byproduct of a populace that is governed by its basest instincts – and thus easily controlled. As we have seen, such populations become willing to tolerate – and even participate in – all manner of atrocities.” “It began with a boycott of their businesses” Rush writes, “and the rest is history.”
h/t: Brian Tashman at RWW
Dear North Carolina,
Hey! It’s me.
So… are you done with your little temper tantrum? I mean, I’d certainly hate to interrupt. What’s that? You’re through?
…Are you sure?
Okay, good! Because I have something I’d like to say.
You’re probably feeling mighty proud of yourself right now, North Carolina. What with banning same-sex marriage and all… again.You do realize that it was illegal in the first place, right? Seriously, way to kick us while we’re down. You even took it a step farther and banned all civil unions!
Wow. I must say, I am at least impressed by your resolve. You’re even willing to throw straight people under the bus just to get to us!
So go ahead, North Carolina. Give yourself a pat on the back. A round of applause. Kudos.
And be sure to enjoy it while you can.. because it may be the last time you ever get throw a hissy-fit like this again.
Because, whether you like it or not, the world around us is changing. Every single day, support is growing for gay marriage and for LGBT acceptance. And I think you know that - otherwise, why would you have bothered to even make such an amendment in the first place?
You’re being awfully silly, North Carolina. The only thing this amendment has done is establish how backwards you and the rest of the bigots in this country are.
But maybe I should credit you, because you’ve also done something else. You’ve ignited a base that doesn’t agree with your outdated way of thinking. And right now, as you read this letter, they are working to bring an end to toxic legislation like Amendment One.
You know, I may be a cynical, liberal, gay college student who is disenchanted with the system, but this little nugget of wisdom is something I have always held to be true: Love will win in the end.
So you might want to get on the ride side of history, North Carolina, before it’s too late. Because incidents like this… they end up in the history books, and history will not treat you kindly.
But if you refuse, as I suspect you might, then you should know this.
You may have won the fight, but so long as hate is the only thing on your side, then you will lose the war.
Sincerely,
John Paul
Wow. This made me cry out of sadness and out of anger. I can’t believe how cruel people can be, and I can’t imagine a family treating their son this way.
Please watch and share this video. This is why fighting for gay rights is so crucial.
Some community members in Lenoir City, Tennessee are asking for an investigation of high school yearbook adviser James Yoakley.
What is Mr. Yoakley’s crime? He allowed an article in the 2012 yearbook titled “It’s OKAY to be gay.”
The student-written article profiled Zac Mitchell, a gay student who discussed bullying and coming out and how his family donates to pro-gay causes and breast cancer research. I know. Heinous stuff, isn’t it?
After the article came out, an email started circulating amongst the ultra-religious members of the community. They had this to say:
“It is time to take a stand for our faith. We aren’t being called to risk our lives and go before a king like Nehemiah – but our walls are broken down and our gates are burning.”
Wow! Who would have known that a call for tolerance and acceptance would be taken as an act of war by these supposed “Christians?”
Van Shaver, a board member in a nearby district, even went so far as to say that Yoakley should be fired and arrested.
“Arrested for what?!” You may ask. Child sex abuse, of course.
Shaver said that if Yoakley had asked about the sexual orientation about any child, then that must make him a sex offender.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had just about enough of the ultra-religious right’s war on gay teens in this country. They’ve helped pass laws that make it easier for bullies to target LGBT students. They’ve claimed that gay rights are an affront to their religious freedoms. And now, after one brave high school student shared his story in the yearbook, they are trying to criminalize the yearbook adviser.
Enough is enough.
Now here’s what you can do to help stand with Mr. Yoakley and the article of acceptance he decided to publish.
Like the Facebook page - Take A Stand Against The Ignorance in Lenoir CIty
The people trying to get Mr. Yoakley fired also made a Facebook page called “Take A Stand Lenoir City,” and I encourage you to go there and RESPECTFULLY disagree with the way they are handling this incident.
These people are certainly not acting very Christ-like right about now.
LGBT students in high schools across our nation are under attack, and they need all the help and support we can give.
To anyone who disagrees with the repeal of Prop 8….
What does American Evangelicalism have to do with the murder of Uganda’s most prominent LGBT activist? More than you’re probably comfortable with.
To Chick-Fil-A, Truett Cathy, and the WinShape Foundation:
It is with a heavy heart that I write to you saying that I can no longer, in good conscience, patronize your establishment. Nor can I partake of your delicious, succulent, juicy chicken.
I mean, I would like to. Oh trust me, I would! But the beef (ha!) I have with you isn’t about your chicken. Your chicken is actually quite good. Your ongoing support of anti-gay organizations and hate groups, however, is what has left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
I had deduced that your business was religious - meaning I noticed it was always closed on Sundays and I just sort of guessed. And that’s fine. I live in Oklahoma and I know plenty of Christian businesses who do the same thing. That much never bothered me.
I never really knew what Chick-Fil-A’s opinion of gays was, but I probably wouldn’t have cared. You are free to have whatever rampantly bigoted views you choose to hold, and I have the right to call them just that. If one of the Chick-Fil-A cows were a homophobe, I’d hope he’d have the common courtesy to at least keep that to himself and we would be fine.
But then you had to do it to me. You just had to push me away. You went and donated $2 million, money that customers like me helped you make, to anti-gay organizations like the Pennsylvania Family Institute. These are people who have said that striking down Prop 8 was a direct hit to human civilization. They’ve said same-sex marriage threatens children, hurts families, and punishes society by caving in to a radical sexual revolution.
I’ve checked your tab, and apparently that’s not the only anti-gay organization you support:
Oh, that Exodus International one is a low blow, Chick-Fil-A, because that group’s entire purpose is to eliminate and “cure” homosexuality like it’s a mental disorder.
And then you sent out a message saying you’re not anti-gay and that you respect LGBT people. But then, well, this:
http://news.change.org/stories/yes-chick-fil-a-says-we-explicitly-do-not-like-same-sex-couples
That’s an odd definition of respect. And you’re absolutely sure you’re not anti-gay?
Come on, just admit you don’t like me. It’s pretty obvious. You’ve given money to organizations who are actively trying to make sure I don’t get to enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples. You have helped fund hate groups who, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, are listed right alongside the KKK.
So I think you’ve made it pretty clear how you feel. Now here’s how I feel.
I refuse to spend my money at a business that supports hate, and I encourage others to do the same.
Maybe you think a small number of people boycotting won’t make much of a difference. And, you know, that may be true.
But when I think that even so much as a penny, a single freaking penny of my money went to Exodus International and helped fund their sick, perverse practices of “curing” gay people, it breaks my heart.
It makes me physically ill to think that a single cent of the money I paid to eat your chicken goes to a hate group who clearly disagrees with my very existence. And when I think, even for a second, that I have in any way helped a group who is trying to undermine my civil rights… well, it makes me want to puke.
And suddenly, I’m not so hungry anymore. No matter how tasty the chicken might be.
But hey, if you meant what you said about not being anti-gay, and if you’re half as Christian as you claim to be, then I’ve got a proposition for you.
Homelessness among LGBT youths is rampant, and charities and churches all over America are struggling to provide them with food, shelter, and a positive environment. Even if you think their sexual orientation is a choice, they are still human beings - and they are suffering.
Here’s one organization that could sure use some help:
http://www.aliforneycenter.org/
And even if you don’t feel like giving a monetary donation… I bet those homeless teens could really go for some free chicken.
Just a thought.
I certainly hope that you have read all of this and heard me out. I also hope that, one day, I may again enjoy one of your chicken sandwiches with extra pickles and waffle fries. It was my favorite!
Until Chick-Fil-A stops supporting these hate groups, however, my morals will simply not allow it.
Sign the petition!
http://www.change.org/petitions/support-lgbt-rights-and-tell-chick-fil-a-hate-is-not-okay
